I will make Kwara entrepreneurial capital of Nigeria —Atunwa

WHAT are your chances in the coming election? 

I think people of Kwara State are happy with my candidature. They believe that the best party to produce good governance for Kwara State is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the best party to produce good governance for Nigeria generally is the PDP. We have campaigned throughout the length and breadth of the state. The reception has been great and the enthusiasm of people to vote for the PDP and vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal level is overwhelming. When we think of all these and the postponement of the elections, with strong suspicion of collusion of the Federal Government with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), we say that they are really toying with destiny. They can only postpone election, they can’t postpone destiny.

 

Will you accept result of the election?

I’m a democrat. We in the PDP are democrats. When election is conducted freely, fairly and credibly, of course, we will accept the result. The condition has to be free, fair and credible even pre, during and after the elections. There has to be no interference by anybody. There has to be complete transparency about the entire process.

But I am afraid, from what we’re seeing already, one has room for concern. But if it is free, fair and credible, we all have to accept it. We believe in the ballot box, nothing else.

• How did you receive the news of election postponement?

A look at the security deployed in the state seems to show overwhelming concentration of Department of State Security (DSS) and police personnel. That the officers can be moved around is no problem. What is of concern is that the second in command of the DSS and other two directors with huge personnel had been deployed. There was also deployment of new commissioner of police and three federal police commissioners. One should ask if there is any peculiarity about Kwara State. Why deploy so huge a number of security, rank and file to Kwara State?  But we have been telling our people to remain calm.

 

If elected governor, what would you want to do differently, considering it would be continuity of your party in power? 

We have basic needs and government is expected to provide them. Government needs to improve on education, health, road, electricity, potable water and other needs.

However, one of our major plans, like the PDP presidential candidate, will be to get into office to create jobs, not only in the public sector, but also create in the private; create an atmosphere where private investors would come to Kwara State and create more jobs. I am confident that within first two years of our administration, I can make the state an entrepreneurial capital of Nigeria, because I plan to create an entrepreneur hub where everyone would be gainfully employed and be wealth creators themselves, rather than being dependent on the state.

I also plan to ensure that welfare of the people is paramount, welfare of our workers. And I am committed to payment of new minimum wage, including timely payment of workers’ salaries. We would not condone arrears.